Page 9 - AfrElec Week 29 2021
P. 9
AfrElec COAL-FIRED GENERATION AfrElec
Hwange expansion makes solid progress
ZIMBABWE ZIMBABWE’S Chinese-funded $1.5bn expan- comprised $1.17bn for EPC costs, with the bal-
sion to the Hwange coal-fired power station is ance of $330mn being development and financ-
now 68% complete, despite delays caused by the ing costs.
coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. A China Eximbank loan of $998mn covers
Zimbabwe Power Co. (ZPC) said that the 85% of the EPC costs, while the rest of the fund-
addition of units 7 and 8 at the plant would ing for the project comes from ZPC and Sinohy-
add 600 MW of capacity to the country’s pow- dro, which are the project contractors.
er-starved grid and contribute to ending the ZPC said the Hwange 7 and 8 expansion pro-
country’s reliance on power imports. ject was the first public-private partnership pro-
The expansion project is expected to be com- ject in the electricity sub-sector.
pleted in 2022, when capacity at Hwange should The expansion project is running parallel to
reach 1,300 MW. the upgrading of the Deka pumping station and
ZPC said that the cooling tower shell had construction of a 42-km water pipeline from
been completed, as had the installation of gen- Deka River to the Hwange thermal power sta-
erator frames for Unit 7 and 8, the erection of tion (TPP).
transmission and distribution towers and the This development is envisaged solving the
installation of stream turbines. perennial water supply challenges at the power
ZPC said that 10% of the $1.17mn engi- station, which requires about 3,500 cubic metres
neering, procurement and construction (EPC) of raw water per hour for power generation.
contract would be local content, with 1,300 for- The expansion of Hwange TPP is one of the
eigners and 3,600 being employed. projects envisaged under the Transitional Stabi-
The EPC contract was signed in October lisation Programme to enhance the attainment
2014, with funding from the China’s Eximbank. of Vision 2030.
ZPC said the total project cost of $1.5bn
GRID
TRANSCO CLSG cross-border
line switched on in West Africa
WEST AFRICA THE Transmission Company Côte d’Ivoire, the section from Yekepa to Nzerekoreh is about
Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea (TRANSCO 95% complete.
CLSG) has switched on the cross-border power TRANSCO CLSG has been working actively
line from Mano in Cote d’Ivoire to Monrovia in with Tractelbel, the owner’s engineer, to prepare
Liberia all pre-requisite conditions for successful com-
TRANSCO CLSG general manager Moham- missioning of the first section of the line in Mano
med Mulibah Sherif said that overall progress of to Monrovia.
the CLSG project was estimated at 93%. The process, the general manager said,
The line from Mano to Monrovia has been includes the recruitment of Cite d’Ivoire’s CIE
fully energised and the synchronisation with the as the temporary operations and maintenance
Mt Coffee hydropower plant (HPP) in Liberia is (O&M) operator for six to 12 months and the
ongoing. launching of the tender process to recruit the
The 132-kV connection between the CLSG statutory operator.
substation in Monrovia and the Liberia Elec- Sherif said that despite several unforeseen
tricity Co. (LEC) Mt Coffee HPP has been 100% challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic,
completed, while additional tests are ongoing on which seriously delayed project implementation,
the 66-kV Busbar differential protection at the everything was being done to ensure full com-
request of LEC, he said. missioning of the 1,303-km line by December
The line sections from Monrovia to Mano in 2021.
Liberia, from Mano to Kenema, Bikongor and “We are at a critical junction in the implemen-
Bumbuna up to Yiben in Sierra Leone are all tation of the CLSG project,” Sherif declared, add-
100% completed and await commissioning from ing that TRANSCO CLSG, in collaboration with
Liberia before being switched on. the owner’s engineer, made crucial decisions and
The line section from Yiben to Kamakwie and took actions to increase performance and accel-
Linsan in Guinée is about 74% complete, while erate the implementation phase of the project.
Week 29 22•July•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P9
